TL;DR: Cat stomach gurgling is often a normal part of digestion, but loud sounds accompanied by lethargy or vomiting warrant a veterinary visit. Photos of your cat's posture and stool are vital tools to help a professional determine if the sounds indicate underlying gastrointestinal issues.
What causes my cat’s stomach to make loud gurgling noises?
Frequent loud stomach gurgling, clinically referred to as borborygmi, occurs when gas or fluids move through the gastrointestinal tract. In cats, this is often a normal part of the digestive process as muscles contract to move food along. However, when the sounds become exceptionally loud or frequent, it may indicate that the digestive system is working harder than usual due to air intake, sudden diet changes, or mild indigestion. It is essentially the sound of an overactive gut.
When is it an emergency if my cat’s stomach is gurgling?
- Assess your cat's behavior; if they are eating, drinking, and acting normally, the urgency level is generally low.
- Monitor for "red flag" symptoms such as lethargy, repeated vomiting, a tense abdomen, or a complete loss of appetite.
- Contact your veterinarian for a non-emergency appointment if the gurgling persists or is accompanied by other clinical signs.
- Consult a professional to rule out underlying issues like food sensitivities, parasites, or inflammatory bowel disease.
How can taking a photo help a veterinarian triage my cat?
- Capture a photo of your cat’s resting posture to show if they are hunched in a way that indicates abdominal pain.
- Take a clear photo of your cat's stool if the gurgling is accompanied by changes in bathroom habits.
- Provide these visual aids to help a professional identify signs of inflammation, mucus, or malabsorption in the gut.
- Use imagery to help the veterinary team narrow down the specific cause of the gastrointestinal noise.
Clinical Context (Merck Veterinary Manual)
While the provided excerpts do not directly address the causes and triage of stomach gurgling (borborygmi) in cats, they do discuss related gastrointestinal issues. Vomiting can stem from dietary indiscretion, parasitic infection, bacterial or viral gastroenteritis, anxiety, or motion sickness. Careful monitoring for persistent vomiting, depression, abdominal discomfort, and/or fever is critical. Abdominal palpation should be performed to check for foreign bodies or abdominal discomfort, and the oral cavity should be examined for yarn, thread, or needles. Abdominal radiographs can help identify radiopaque foreign objects or signs of intestinal distention, which may indicate obstruction. A CBC, serum biochemistry profile, and urinalysis can help differentiate primary GI disease from non-GI disease and can identify metabolic derangements resulting from GI disease.
Chapter: Gastroenterology
Source: The Merck Veterinary Manual, 11th Edition (Page 390)